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Jimin

After he parted from Yoongi, the blonde had made his way across the vast site, past unsuspecting bionics and towards the opposite side of the establishment. And after spending for what seemed like hours searching through the rows and rows of dorms with no results, he had made the rash decision after the phone call with his green haired friend to explore the main building.

The factory site was made up of two areas: the bionic apartments, and the human department. Getting past the bionics was easy, because they were unaware on the most part of what happened behind the scenes, and so seeing humans on site would be considered a normal thing.
Running into a human...it was dangerous. The only humans qualified to work at such a prestigious institution had to have graduated from one of the top 10 international universities, or have an IQ over 140, and so being caught by such a human could absolutely not happen. Any excuse Jimin had would immediately be duped.

Making his way through the hoards of bionics, he caught sight of the widespread grey building planted at the edge of the square site, and he quickened his pace. Like the dorms, the front of the building was compiled of rustic, red and brown walls, however Jimin could make out the extended, almost silver like roof of what could only be the newer implanted laboratory which stretched out behind it. And at the centre of the roof was a singular, square block.

Taking in a deep breath, he patted his sweaty palms down his thighs as he strode up the steps of the building and into the entranceway. "I just have to find Taehyung..." You got this. "Just a quick look, nothing more." Then I'm out. And back to Jungkook.

The inside of the building was just as old as the outside; he looked up at the looming archways above, admiring how the light from the sky streamed through lean, towering glass panes as he tried to find the ceiling from where he incuriously paced down the beige, speckled-tiled halls. The corridors were never ending, and when Jimin did manage to find a room, it was either filled with scientists or it was locked. Peering into the laboratory room, he watched as figures paced to and fro with beakers or trays or clipboards in hand, their faces masked and their hands gloved. Occasionally, he caught site of a maskless and gloveless bionic carrying huge assortments of what could only be chemicals through the lab, avoiding fumes and spillages due to their undenied skills.

"So that's how they really work in action?" Stepping back from the door, Jimin breathed out as he dug his hands into his pockets, grasping the cold metal of his keys to soothe his trembling. "What do I do...?"

"Who are you talking to?"

"Y-YAH!"

A voice spoke from behind him, and he whirled around with his hands out in front of him in somewhat defense. A tall man with parted, red hair and a playful yet kind smile stood dressed in a light-grey suit with his hands pocketed, and his body tilted to the left slightly in curiosity.

"I-I, I was just..."

"You was just...?"

"Y-you see, I, w-well my friend..."

"Your friend?"

"Me...trying to find..."

"You're...trying to find your friend?"

Jimin nodded, his heart thumping against his chest in fear for his life. This was such a stupid idea, where had he gotten the courage to even step foot inside one of the most reputable companies in the world?!
Then again this man, he wasn't particularly threatening. His eyes were twinkling in interest, and not anger and from any other angle he still had a kind face.

"Hmm..." The man tapped his chin, his eyebrow raised and his lips pursed, before he suddenly turned on his heel.

"Um-" Jimin remained quiet as he watched the strange figure pace away from him. That was it? He wasn't going to further question him?

"Excuse me?"

"Y-yes?"

When he looked back up, he saw the man with his hands still pocketed stood at the foot of a small staircase, his head cocked to the side and his lips still pursed. "You coming Jimin?"

His stomach dropped when the stranger addressed him, and his head spiked up to meet the cool gaze of the red haired man. Before he could respond, the figure made his way up the steps, and Jimin clenched his keys even tighter, the metal now warm and damp with his sweat.
He stood in a trance, fear nailing his feet to the ground, and his rigid body still trembling as his mind raced through multiple scenarios that could come about.

If I go up there...
Mouth dry and parted, he licked his lower lip.
He knows who I am.

"Jimin?"

"Y-yeah!" How can he call my name so casually? Jogging up to the stairway, he tentatively followed the man, gripping the handlebars. Who is he?

"By the way, my name is Hoseok."

"Hoseok..."

***

"Take a seat."

"O-okay..." Body still stiff and unmoving, he sat in the black leather office chair facing what could only be the managers desk. And Hoseok was seated at in the managers chair.
So- "You're...Hoseok?"

The man smiled, his hands clasped out in front of him. "Yes, that's me."

"How did you...?"

"Know who you are?"

"Y-yeah."

Hoseok's smile faded slightly, and he pushed a black folder towards him. Despite his calm yet happy demeanour, Jimin could sense the authority oozing from every crevice of his body. "I know you because you housed one of our bionics."

Jimin stared at the folder, his hands still folded on his lap, and he tried to even out his breathing. "You...you knew that?"

"Of course. Bionics have trackers in the tattoo on their necks."

"I-I know that but, I thought you didn't care about where he is?" Hoseok shook his head, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. Jimin's eyes widened, and his throat throbbed more when he finally realized his worries were coming true. And he brought his gaze back down to the folder. "What's this?"

"Open it. It'll answer all your questions."

He didn't hesitate to tear through plastic material, and when his eyes scanned over the first words in bold, his stomach plunged and he felt his heart stop.

"Experiment 97"

His eyes frantically scanned over the pages, taking in what felt like the weight of the world as he felt his eyes prick with tears. It was all an experiment...forty unwilling bionic participants stretching from Western Europe to Indonesia. And thirty eight were succumbed to-

"-extreme emotional strain."

Hoseok looked up when Jimin muttered those words to himself.

"You...this...was all just an experiment?"

Hoseok nodded.

"And thirty eight bionics were killed."

"They died, yes."

"And you...knew that it could have happened?"

"Well, yes."

Jimin felt sick to the core. And when he remained silent, Hoseok pulled the folder back towards him and placed it in a draw in his desk. "S-so, Jungkook could have-"

"He could have died too. But you took him in, and saved him. You also taught him how to feel, how to cope with his emotions, how to live normally."

"I-I...I did."

Hoseok smiled at him again, his eyebrows upturned and soft. "And how to even love."

Jimin's heart sped up, and the tears forming at the corners of his eyes finally spilled over. "Yeah..."

"So, if I didn't thank you I would be crazy right? Thank you Jimin. You have compassion beyond your own specimen."

Jimin could only smile back, looking down at his knees, his fists balled and shaking vigorously. He couldn't talk. He had to talk. But if he opened his mouth, everything would fall apart. "You're thanking me, but...why does this feel like a goodbye?"

"A goodbye?"

His throat burned with a million emotions, his sight fogged by the falling tears, and he could feel his world slowly falling apart. "Yeah...a goodbye."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

Jimin stifled a laugh as he met the older's confused eyes. "At the end of movies, a thank you is always followed by something bad."

"I don't really believe in good or bad, or maybe I used to. Things are just, what they are. But you're right, there's something more which I have to say." Leaning forward again onto his elbows, Hoseok closed his eyes briefly before making eye contact with Jimin's wet ones. His heart rate was at the max, anticipating what Hoseok had to say. And it could only be something very, very bad. "If you read to the end then you'll know that due to complications, and the realisation of dangers involved, we've decided to end experiment ninety seven."

Jimin's heart faultered.

"The remaining bionics have been transferred back to the factory."

"What?"

"The making of the drug has been postponed until further notice-"

"No wait, what does that..."

"And all effects of the experiment have been eradicated."

No...

"What do you mean?!"

Hoseok stood from his seat, adjusting his tie. "Jungkook has been ridded of the drug's effects, and he will be returning to regular bionic duties."

Jimin stood from his seat, a burning rage seething through his small body while his tears stained his cheeks. Aching and twisting from inside, the void inside of him deepened and rose up to his lips. "H-he's still in Busan-!"

"He was recently transferred last night. It's too late to stop anyone, he's in the next room in his normal bionic state."

"What...?!"

"The love you feel for him, you have to find a way to rid of it-"

Sprinting from the desk, he thrusted his body forward through the air and towards the other door from across the room. His tears were streaming down his cheeks, and for the first time he felt the world around him slow down, the stilts holding up his entire being cracking and smashing everything that ever mattered to him. He couldn't be gone. He couldn't be here. He couldn't be gone, he couldn't be...he couldn't be bionotized, Jungkook....he wouldn't let this happen, not when the door to his everything was right in front of his eyes.

Jungkook.

Jeon Jungkook.

Grabbing the doorhandle and slamming it open, he pushed his body forwards  and ran up to the man who was perched on the edge of a table with his back facing him. The man he met on that snowy night, the man he promised to live with, the man who looked him in the eyes with those sparkling, round pupils and told him that he loved him.

"Jungkook!"

The bionic turned his head sharply, and Jimin caught the glimmer of his silver earrings which caught the light.

"Jungkook it's me, Jimin!"

"Jimin?"

The older stood at the other end of the table, gripping the sides with both hands as his tears streamed down his face. He had to still be there. He had to be. "Kookie?!"

The man he loved stared blankly back at him, the eyes that once shone with beautiful, beautiful emotions now pierced into Jimin's with empty solitude.

He can't...there's no way...

"Kookie...?"

Jungkook remained unblinking, his gaze filled with the purest of apathy, and his mouth indifferent and unmoving as to maybe never smile again.

And when his lips did move, Jimin felt his heart break into two.

"Who are you?"